Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery

A large-scale Ukrainian drone and missile attack targeted the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s southern Rostov region overnight, sparking a fire that raged for over six hours, officials from both nations confirmed on Thursday, December 19.

Ukraine’s General Staff claimed responsibility for the strike, describing the refinery as a site “used to meet the needs of the Russian armed forces.” The attack is part of a broader campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure, which Ukraine views as retaliation for Moscow’s ongoing assaults on its electricity grid.

“A fire has been confirmed in the area of the facility,” Ukraine’s military statement read.

Russian officials also acknowledged the incident. Rostov Governor Yuri Slyusar reported that the fire was caused by “a massive attack by the enemy, who used more than three dozen drones and three missiles.” The refinery, located just 10 kilometres (six miles) from the Ukrainian border but about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the nearest Ukrainian military positions, suffered significant damage, according to a source in Ukraine’s SBU security service.

The source, speaking anonymously to AFP, detailed the coordinated operation: “SBU drones first overloaded the Russian air defences protecting the plant. By doing so, they created a window of opportunity for Ukrainian missiles, which the SBU and the Navy jointly used in the next stage.”

Images circulating on Russian social media showed a massive fire engulfing the site, with thick grey smoke billowing into the sky. While AFP could not independently verify the images, the posts highlight the scale of the damage.

Russia’s defence ministry reported that Ukraine launched a total of 84 drones overnight, 36 of which were intercepted over the Rostov region. Other drones were destroyed in the Bryansk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Tambov, and Krasnodar regions.

This latest escalation comes amid intensified bombardments on both sides. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian energy facilities throughout the nearly three-year conflict, marking a shift in strategy to hit critical infrastructure deep within Russian territory.

As the conflict continues, the strikes and counter-strikes underline the evolving tactics employed by both nations, with civilian and military infrastructure increasingly caught in the crossfire.